Severe Weather in Texas: 1920s
Severe weather in Texas can be categorized by two factors: loss of life and the cost of damage estimating over $1 million. The following events were included because they caused an extensive amount of destruction and in some cases, fatalities were also a result of the severe weather.
April 13, 1921: Tornado. Melissa, Collin County, and Petty, Lamar County. Melissa was practically destroyed; 12 killed, 80 injured; damage $500,000.
April 15, 1921: Tornado. Wood, Cass and Bowie counties; 10 killed, 50 injured; damage $85,000.
Sept. 8–10, 1921: Rainstorm. Probably the greatest rainstorm in Texas history, it entered Mexico as a hurricane from the Gulf. Torrential rains fell as the storm moved northeasterly across Texas. Record floods occurred in Bexar, Travis, Williamson, Bell and Milam counties, killing 215 persons, with property losses over $19 million. Five to nine feet of water stood in downtown San Antonio. A total of 23.98 inches was measured at the U.S. Weather Bureau station at Taylor during a period of 35 hours, with a 24-hour maximum of 23.11 on September 9-10. The greatest rainfall recorded in United States history during 18 consecutive hours (measured at an unofficial weather-monitoring site) fell at Thrall, Williamson County, 36.40 inches fell on Sept. 9.
April 8, 1922: Tornado. Rowena, Runnels County. Seven killed, 52 injured; damage $55,000.
April 8, 1922: Tornado. Oplin, Callahan County. Five killed, 30 injured; damage $15,000.
April 23–28, 1922: Rainstorm. An exceptional storm entered Texas from the west and moved from the Panhandle to North Central and East Texas. Rains up to 12.6 inches over Parker, Tarrant and Dallas counties caused severe floods in the Upper Trinity at Fort Worth; 11 lives were lost; damage was estimated at $1 million.
May 4, 1922: Tornado. Austin, Travis County; 12 killed, 50 injured; damage $500,000.
May 14, 1923: Tornado. Howard and Mitchell counties; 23 killed, 100 injured; damage $50,000.
April 12, 1927: Tornado. Edwards, Real and Uvalde counties; 74 killed, 205 injured; damage $1.23 million. Most of damage was in Rocksprings where 72 deaths occurred and town was practically destroyed.
May 9, 1927: Tornado. Garland; eleven killed; damage $100,000.
May 9, 1927: Tornado. Nevada, Collin County; Wolfe City, Hunt County; and Tigertown, Lamar County; 28 killed, over 200 injured; damage $900,000.
Jan. 4, 1929: Tornado. Near Bay City, Matagorda County. Five killed, 14 injured.
April 24, 1929: Tornado. Slocum, Anderson County; seven killed, 20 injured; damage $200,000.
May 24–31, 1929: Rainstorm. Beginning over Caldwell County, a storm spread over much of Central and Coastal Texas with maximum rainfall of 12.9 inches, causing floods in Colorado, Guadalupe, Brazos, Trinity, Neches and Sabine rivers. Much damage at Houston from overflow of bayous.
